Listen First

Yes, this really happened.  It's a good example of saying a lot without listening.

A few years ago I called a restaurant to make reservations and this is the conversation that ensued.

Restaurant:  Thanks for calling La Ristorante Authentico (not its real name).

Me:  I'd like to make a reservation for six-fifteen, please.

Restaurant:  I'm sorry, we don't take reservations here, we do call-ahead seating.

Me:  What's that?

Restaurant:  If you can be here in 10 to 20 minutes you call ahead and we seat you when you get here.

Me:  Okay, I'd like to be seated at six-fifteen.

Restaurant:  I'm sorry, it's only a quarter to six now.  You'll have to call back at six o'clock.

Me:  Well, can I have you write me in now for six?

Restaurant:  Sure, that was for six people?

Me:  No, six o'clock.  Ten people.

Restaurant:  Ten people?  Oh, we can't possibly be ready for ten people in fifteen minutes.

Me:  Okay, can you set us up for six-fifteen?

Restaurant:  Sure.

When we arrived we weren't seated until 6:30.  Several of our party ordered lasagna.  The waitress returned after placing our order to tell us they were out of lasagna.  After selecting alternates and waiting a while for them to arrive, we were told that there was lasagna after all and we could change our orders.  It's a good thing we didn't, our food took an hour to arrive.  Probably because they didn't start the order until after they offered us the newly-found lasagna.  I always wondered where they found it.